Trimester 1 — Aug through Nov
Foundations, physical security, networking — what you need to survive the gap.
Ethical Mindset + Adversary Thinking
Why do people attack? And is it ever right to hack back?
Physical Security Layer
The lock on the door is still a firewall. Learn to break it — and build it.
AI in Cybersecurity
Deepfakes, AI-written phishing, and the tools that fight back.
Social Engineering + Attack Anatomy
Humans are the most exploitable vulnerability in any system.
Information Protection + CIA Triad
Confidentiality. Integrity. Availability. The three rules everything else follows.
Networking + Vulnerabilities
Every packet is a potential attack surface. Map the terrain before the adversary does.
Network Protection + Detection
Firewalls, segmentation, and the logs that tell you when you've already lost.
Tri 1 Review + AP Checkpoint
Lock in the vocabulary. Build the reference sheet. The gap is coming.
Trimester 3 — Mar through May
Device security, cryptography, applications, AP exam, and the PLTW capstone.
Re-Entry + Data Science
Welcome back. Here's what you need to remember — and how to find patterns in data.
Device Security + Authentication Attacks
Password hashing, brute force, credential stuffing — and how to stop all three.
Application Vulnerabilities + Data Law
SQL injection, input sanitization, and the laws that govern the data you're protecting.
Access Controls + Linux Permissions
RBAC, DAC, MAC — and the chmod command that makes it real.
Cryptography + PGP Lab
Symmetric, asymmetric, and the one key direction students always get backwards.
Log Analysis + IoC Detection
The attack already happened. The evidence is in the logs — if you know where to look.
AP Exam Preparation
Practice test. FRQ writing. Vocabulary sprint. Then you're ready.
Malware, Careers + Capstone
PLTW Units 5–7. Malware deep dive, NICE careers, and your final team challenge.
Welcome to AP Cybersecurity
This course runs two trimesters with a gap in between — which means the way we sequence content matters more than in most classes. Tri 1 builds the foundations you need to survive the break. Tri 3 applies them, goes deeper, and gets you ready for the AP exam.
You'll do real lab work inside PLTW's virtual environment — configuring firewalls, analyzing logs, setting file permissions. The AP content wraps around that with the vocabulary, frameworks, and exam skills to make it all count.
Both the PLTW credential and the AP exam are achievable here. The path is laid out for you. Use it.
— Mr. I
/public/cyber-images/homepage/mr-iserloth.jpgWhat this course is, how it's structured, and what the two trimesters look like.
Watch →How to navigate the42ndperiod.com, find your unit, and get to a PLTW lab.
Watch →How to log into PLTW, access virtual servers, and submit your work.
Watch →How to use AP Central, find daily videos, and check your progress checks.
Watch →Course Documents
Grading, expectations, trimester structure, and the AP exam policy.
📘The full official College Board course and exam description.
🔧PLTW Cybersecurity competencies, domains, and knowledge statements.
📊PLTW only vs. AP only vs. both — your Venn diagram for this course.
⭐ Read this first📝Key vocabulary, attack types, and law names to know cold for exam day.
📅Full trimester breakdown — what we cover, when, and why in that order.
A Note About AI
- Generate course images and unit splash art
- Create AI podcast episodes for each lesson
- Build interactive tools and lab companions
- Format and layout lesson content consistently
You're in a cybersecurity course. You're going to learn, this semester, exactly how AI-generated content is weaponized — phishing emails, synthetic voices, fake documentation. If you use AI to fake your own understanding, you're practicing the attacker's playbook on yourself.